


Treetop

by just_a_loser



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Fluff maybe?, M/M, Or not, a great request, it can be interpreted as platonic, this was a request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 05:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13229235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_loser/pseuds/just_a_loser
Summary: Ethan has a habit of sitting in a tree to read. It just so happens that someone else has developed a habit of sitting underneath it.





	Treetop

     Ethan has this habit of wandering into the woods whenever he wants to be alone, often carrying a book with him. He’d wandered these woods so often that he knew them like the back of his hand. He’d find trees to climb and sit in, to read. He liked the feeling of being high up, feeling as though he was closer to the sky. As though no one else could touch him.

     One day, he’d wandered into a part of the woods that he only vaguely remembered. He’d stumbled across the biggest tree he’d ever seen. The trunk was thick and sturdy, and tree looked as though it had been there for a thousand years, untouched. He looked up to the branches, analyzing their sturdiness. He grabbed a branch, hanging from it to test it. Satisfied, he hoisted himself up onto it, climbing his way up higher until he was as high as he could go. He sat on the thick branch, leaning against the trunk, letting his feet dangle from the sides. It seemed like he fit perfectly against the trunk, as though it were made for him to sit on. Immensely satisfied, he pulled his book out of his well-worn satchel and began to read. From this day forth, it became a habit for him to sit in this tree.

…

     Ethan is perched in his tree, immersed in his book when he hears shuffling coming from the ground below. He pauses his reading to look around, as the shuffling doesn’t sound like a squirrel or bird. Either someone was walking, or he was about to encounter a bear.

     Luckily, it was the former. A man was walking in his direction without purpose, as though he was wandering. He stopped to look at the tree before sitting down at the base, opening the book he was carrying.

     Ethan looked down at the man, the man who was sitting under his tree. He looked to be around his age, from what little he could tell, as he couldn’t actually see his face. He had dark brown hair, and glasses. This was about as much as he could tell, as he could only see the top of the man’s head. Ethan shrugged, leaning back into the trunk and returning to his book. Who was he to disturb the man? He was probably there for the same reason he was, to get some peace and quiet.

…

     It was a few days later that the man returned, sitting in the same spot he had before. Ethan looked down at the man curiously. He decided he’d stick to his previous decision to leave him be; how odd would it be to have your reading interrupted by someone dropping down from the sky?

…

     The next day was no different. Ethan was settled in his tree when the man came once more. Ethan noticed by the cover that he’d brought a different book this time. He was too far up to read the cover though, and wondered what it was. What was this mystery man interested in reading? Did they have similar taste?

He tried to get a glimpse of his face before he sat down, but had no such luck. He wondered what he looked like, from the front (as opposed to above). He shrugged off these thoughts, returning to his main purpose, finding his spot in his own novel.

…

     This routine of sorts continued day in and day out. Ethan would climb his tree, and not long after the mysterious man would sit underneath it. Ethan felt an odd sort of kinship with the man. They spent their days reading together, though they didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence (the man didn’t even  _know_  of his presence). Ethan had grown fond of him, in a strange way. He’d read his book yes, but over time Ethan could feel his attention becoming more focused on the man. He wondered who he was. What did he sound like? What was his name?

     He could just ask, he’d figured. But how? He’d have to announce his presence to the man, and he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to do that. Maybe the man wouldn’t take so kindly to being watched over by someone perched in a tree above him. Maybe he’d stop coming. Ethan didn’t know why his heart sank at the thought of that. He’d become attached to a person that he didn’t even know.

…

     It had been nearly a month since the man had started showing up. They’d both cycled through a handful of books. The man still had never noticed Ethan’s presence above him. He must be an avid reader.

     Ethan had realized that he didn’t really come here to read anymore. Sure, he did read while he was there, but he looked forward to seeing the faceless man each day. It felt nice to have company, even if said company didn’t know you were there.

     He was just opening his book when his fingers fumbled around the edges, the paperback slipping through his fingers. It was as though he was watching it fall in slow motion. Ethan looked down in horror as he saw where it was going to land, eyes widening as he realized there was nothing he could do.

     “Ouch! What the fuck?” This was the first time Ethan had heard the man’s voice. It was deeper than he’d expected. Smooth, too.

     Before Ethan could process everything that had just happened, he was staring into the eyes of the mystery man.  _He’s attractive_ , Ethan couldn’t help but think. He pushed that thought aside. There were more pressing matters at hand.

     Neither spoke. They simply continued staring at one another, both minds racing. Neither knew what to do.

     “…I think you dropped something.” The man held up the fallen book, not breaking eye contact.

     “S-sorry!” Ethan squeaked, carefully making his way down the tree. He hopped onto the ground, hesitantly taking the book from the man’s grasp.

     “Um…how long have you been up there?”

     Ethan felt a blush rise to his cheeks, not wanting to admit just how long he’d been watching this man. “Uh…I-I’ve been there since before you got here,” he stuttered.

     “Why didn’t you say anything?” God, why did he have to ask such rational things?

     “I-I didn’t want to interrupt your reading,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

     “You kind of interrupted it by dropping a book onto my head,” the man said with a genuine smile, revealing his perfect teeth.

     “I’m so sorry about that!” Ethan said, shuffling his feet nervously. He was still in shock that he was actually talking to the once faceless man. “I, uh, I-I have to confess something.” He felt his cheeks grow impossibly warmer.

     The man said nothing, cocking an eyebrow and giving him a wary look.

     “I’ve been sitting in this tree for over a month now. Just about every day. Since before you starting sitting under it.” He avoided the man’s eyes as he spoke. He surely would never come back, now that he knew this.

     “…oh.” Ethan felt his stomach drop. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Ethan looked up at the man’s face, surprised he wasn’t angry or disturbed. He simply seemed to be curious.

     “Like I said, I didn’t want to interrupt your reading. What would you have done?”

     “I would’ve said ‘hey loser this tree’s taken, go find your own!’” The man gave him a grin.

     “Oh.” Ethan didn’t know what to say. He knew it was stupid of him not to say anything, but couldn’t bring himself to regret it. If he’d said something, he wouldn’t be where he was now.

     “It’s fine,” the man said, reaching out an arm to pat his shoulder. “I mean, it’s kinda weird that you were watching me for a long time, but I get why you didn’t say anything. It’s not like we were bothering each other.”

     Ethan let out a sigh of relief. “Y-yeah,” he mumbled, looking at his feet.

     A few moments of awkward silence passed, the two men standing in front of one another. “I uh, I’m gonna go now,” the man said, motioning to the direction in which he came.

     “O-okay,” Ethan said, watching the man walk away. He felt his heart drop. He’d probably never see him again. He wasn’t sure why he was so disappointed, but he knew that it’d be a while before he got over it.

…

     Ethan walked out to the tree, without a book this time. He just wanted to sit alone for a while, ponder what had happened the day before. He climbed its branches, settling in his spot. Glancing down, his felt his heart ache. He didn’t know the man, didn’t know a single thing about him, but he still felt as though he’d lost something as he stared at the empty space at the base of the tree trunk.

     His head whipped up as he heard rustling coming from the trees, heart racing as he saw the familiar figure walking towards him. “You up there?” The man stopped at the base of the tree, looking up into the branches.

     “I’m here,” Ethan said, unable to keep himself from smiling.

     “I never did get your name,” the man called up to him.

     “Ethan.”

     “Mark.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm actually really proud of this one. I love how it turned out!


End file.
